Telegraph key



Aul 19;' T930. R. s-TEr-:NEc-K 1,773,325

TELEGRAPH KEY Filed May 6, 1929 vCttorneg Patented lAug.. 1.9,r 1930 ROBERT STEENECK, F NEWVYORK, Y.,

GRAPH COMPANY, or New Yoan,

AssIGNoR Torna WESTERNUNION TEL-i:-

N. Y., AfcoRPoaA'r1oN or NEW YORK j TELEGRAPH KEY f Application 'filed May S,

-- This invention relates to telegraphe'rs2 keys. Aln .the'construction :of telegraphers7 keys as commonly used a` lever is employed for inak-v ing and breaking the circuit inthe' sending of the signal impulses.- ,This-lever,;actuated yby the telegrapher, in the usual form acts to carryf current.r Also in the usual form of keys there is provided a vcircuit closingarm, likewise actuated by the telegrapfher, and this arm carries current just as does the key lever. l-n modern telegraphy voltages are sometimes employed, in fact are frequentlyemployed,

which are highenoughto give the telegrapher severe shocks ,if Vhe happens to make contact .15 with any current car-rying'or live part.- 1.0i

course, boththe key-lever and the arm are provided with insulating vgrips for thek tele-A grapher but it sometimes happensfthathis klinger i will vaccidental-ly contact: with such .;zo lever or` arm and7 if ,these carry current, he

may receive a, heavy shock. A

i A' comparatively recent vdevelopment in telegraphy is the useof an auxiliary key known as.a1viloropleX` key andgmodern tele- .,-255' Igraph instruments are commonlyV provided with a platecarrying current'and Aspaced and -insulated'from the current key base sojthat a vj ack or plug attached toa vibro'plexkey may be inserted Vbetween the 4plate and base for 3io supplying the key with current. v Obviously,

this provides another current lcarrying .part

apt to be contacted by the'telegrapher with VLresultant shock. 1

'Among the objects of the present invention M are to provide an improved form oftelegraph key wherein the keyy `lever and circuit closing 4arm will be out of circuit or dead so that ycon'- tacttherewith (by, telegrapher will not result in shook; to provide for covering all live parts' of the" key Aso as to render impossi-k vble Contact with such vlive parts; and vto so Varrangethe coverorhousing for the live parts that aplugor jack may be inserted toconnect .'45 'an auxiliarykey, such ,as a .vibroplex` key,

With the above and othervobje'cts in view .the rinvention consistsfin generall of certain novel arrangementsot details-and combinations of parts which-will now be particularly fdeseribe'din one embodiment and specifically 1929; serial No. 360,843.`

claimed,reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a perspective View of the key 'with its housing in position.` y f Y A y Figure -2 is a' perspectiveview of the key with the housing removed. v

OFFICE Figure Sis a .perspectivevijew of the keyy i with certain parts disassembled.

Figure l is adetail sectionon the line A4L-4 of FigurevS. u Figure 5 is a detail section 011th@ line 5 5 oFigure.` n c `N Figure 6v is adetail section onthe line 6&6 ojlFigure.` v j 1 f y j Figure v7\ isa detail; section with the parts assembled on the line '(*7 of Figure 3.- y

-Figure `,is a detail showing the arrange; ment 'ofthe anvil, spring contactand y.key lev'erin side elevation. Y Y Invthe embodiment of the invention here illustrated thereisprovided an insulating base l0. The-,top of this baseA is channeled at onek side, asat ll and in this channeled portion is seated a lower contact plate l2 pro- `vided withk a bindingserew lby meansA of which a circuit wire 14 may be connected 'to the plate l2. This plate 'l2 extends Well for- Awardly'a'nd terminates 'at its front edge in closelyv spaced-relation to the ki'ront of the base 10. Mounted on the basel() substantially centralgthereofris a second or upper plate 15.which `isulikevvise provided with a binding screw LG for connection of the remaining circuit wire 17.v These plates are thus in insulated relation to each other and thek forward end of the platel' overlies a portion ofthe forward endot the plate 12,*this overlying portionbeing provided with a lip ,18y upturned so 'as :to permit ready introdue tion of a jack or plug'b'etweenthe' front ends l ited.

anvil 19 upon the free forward end of the member 2O being depressed.

Mounted on the base 10 in insulated relation to the plates 12 and 15 is a pair of spaced standards 22 which are bridged across their tops by a plate 23 having a forward projection 24 and a rearward projection 25. These standards 22 are provided with alined openings 26 for the reception of bearing pins 27 which may be adjusted in these openings and which, when adjusted, will be secured in adjusted position by set screws 28. Between the standards 22 and extending over the spring contact 2O is a key 'lever 29 through which passes a journal pin 30, see Figure 7, having projecting ends which are received in bearing recesses 31 in the confronting ends of the pins 27. intermediate its ends between the Astandards and is supported thereby. Extending through the rear projection 25 is an adjusting screw 32 provided with a lock nut 33. The lower end of this adjusting screw is recessed as at 34 in Figure 4 and receives Vthewupper end of a spiral spring 35 which has a downwardly projecting lower end fitting in an opening 36 in the rear end of the key lever 29. By this means the key lever is held with its forward end normally raised and Fin. order to limit the upward Vmovement of this forward end there is screwed through the forward pro-y jection 24 a stop screw 37 provided r,with the usual lock nut 38. By this means the upward motion of the key llever '29 be lim- Just over the forward end ofthe spring contact 2O there is fitted'to the key lever 'an insulating button 39 which normally rests on the front end of the contac-t 20 so that as `the lever is depressed the contact 21 will be brought into engagement with the anvil 19 and circuit will be closed between the circuit wires 14 and 17 while at the saine time the key lever will rremain dead, Vcarrying .no :circuit. Gn the side 'opposite the channel 13 the l base 10 is recessed as at 40 anda circuit closing arm 41 has its rear end pivo'ted at 32 in this recess and projects forwardly ofthe base. In operating the key lever 29 this arm is moved to the position shown in Figures 3 and 6, thus being out of engagement with the plates 12 and 15 but these `plates are provided with lips 43, Isee Figure 6, so that the Varm 41 'may be readily swung gint-o position between l the plates and thus establish electrical 4connection between the cire-uit wires 14 and 17, this of course'being the normal yposition in receiving signals. 'Forthe purpose of manipulating the key lever the lusual button 44 is carried thereby and i,the 'arm 41 is :similarly provided with an insulating handle lor 'knob 45'molded`the'reon. Covering'tliebase 10 and the plates 12 and 15 lis a housing 46 'which is secured in po'si'tionblv a screw 47 engaging Ain an .opening 48 jin the bridge plate 23, -the "housing thus extending 'over th-ifs bridge plate rlhus the key lever is pivoted j but suitable openings being provided to permit the passage of the adjusting screws 32 and 37 and their lock nuts so that the key may be adjusted without necessitating the removal of the housing. Moreover, this housing has :its 'front wall cut away as at A49 to allow for the projection forwardly of the front ends of the key lever 29 and arm 41 and also to allow for the insertion of the jack or plug beneath the 'lip v13.

lt will now be observed that with this construction no partsv accessible to the telegrapher, so long as the housing is in position, carry any 4current vand accordingly it is iinpossible for him to receive a shock from any of the live parts of the key under normal working conditions with the housing-on.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed vas new, is:

1. In a telegraph key, a base of insulating material, ananvil supported thereon,.a spring contact linger having one end in ixedrrelation to the base vand its other end projecting over said anvil yin normal spaced relation thereto, an operating lever pivota'lly supported from said `base in insulated rela-tion to the linger and anvil and extending rover the free end of the finger to engage the latter and move it into electrical engagement with saidV anvil upon ydepression of the lever, and p;

insulating means interposed between the fingerV and lever to .prevent electrical contact therebetween.

2. In a telegraphkey, an insulating base, a pair vof conductive plates fixed to said ibase in insulated relation andhaving their for- Ward ends vertically spaced one above the other, an anvil carried by the forward end of the lower plate, a spring contact finger having one end iixedto the upper plate and its free vend positioned above 'the anvil in normally spaced relation thereto, an operating lever fulcrumed above the fixed end of said'finger and having an arm extending over .the .finger in electrically spaced relation thereto, and insulating means interposed lbetween said arm and linger.

3. In a telegraph key, an insulating ibase, a vpair of conductive plates fixed to Vsaid-base in insulated `relation and having their forward ends Yvertically spaced one above the other, an anvil carried by the forward `,end

of the lower plate, a spring contact :linger a pair of conductive plates fixed to said base in insulated relation and having their forward ends vertically spaced one above the other, an anvil carried by theforward end of the lower plate, a spring contact finger having one end fixed to the upper plate and its free end positioned above the anvil in normally spaced relation thereto, an operating lever fulcrumed above the Afixed end of said nger and having an arm extending over the finger in electrically spaced relation thereto, insulating means interposed between said arm'and finger, and a cover mounted on saidV base in insulated relation to the plates and finger and slotted to permit projection of the key lever, and to permit introduction of a jack between said plates.

5. In a telegraph key, an insulating base,

a pair of conductive plates fixed to saidbase in insulated relation and having their forward ends vertically spaced one above the other, an anvil carried by the yforward end of the lower plate, a spring contact finger having one end fixed to the upper plate and its free end positioned above the anvil in normally spaced relation thereto, an operating lever fulcrumed above the fixed end of said finger and having an arm extending overl the finger inelectrically spaced relation thereto, insulating means' interposed between said arm and finger, a contact arm pivoted on the base in spaced relationto said plates and positioned to swing into and out of bridging relation to said plates, and a cover mounted on said base in insulated relation tothe plates and finger and slotted to permit projection of the key lever and contact arm and to permit introduction of a jack-between said plates.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

ROBERT STEENE CK. 

